Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radiographic image capturing apparatuses, in particular to a radiographic image capturing apparatus that can control turning on/off thereof.
Description of Related Art
Various types of radiographic image capturing apparatuses (flat panel detectors) have been developed each including a two-dimensional array (matrix) of radiation detecting elements, converting radiation passing through a subject into signal values in proportion to the dose of the radiation at the radiation detecting elements, and reading the signal values from the radiation detecting elements. Portable radiographic image capturing apparatuses also have been recently launched each including radiation detecting elements accommodated in a housing (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-167449).
A radiographic image capturing apparatus may be mounted on a capturing table in a capturing room of a facility, such as a hospital, for radiographic image capturing of, for example, a breast region. The radiographic image capturing apparatus may also be detached from the capturing table to be placed on the body of a subject or patient or between a bed and a patient lying on the bed for radiographic image capturing.
For the use of the radiographic image capturing apparatus in a limited space, for example, in an in-vehicle radiographic image capturing system in a medical cart, the radiographic image capturing apparatus may be fixed in a cassette holder with screws. To eliminate the need for troublesome removal of the screws by an operator, such as a radiological technician before turning on/off of the radiographic image capturing apparatus, some radiographic image capturing apparatuses are configured to be turned on/off automatically in cooperation with switching on/off of an external device that supplies electric power to the radiographic image capturing apparatus.
The same configuration is applied to the radiographic image capturing apparatus mounted on the capturing table in the capturing room. Some radiographic image capturing apparatuses are configured to be automatically turned on/off in cooperation with switching on/off of a console connected to the radiographic image capturing apparatus with, for example, a cable, or switching on/off of a relay for communication between the radiographic image capturing apparatus and the console.
For example, at the end of radiographic image capturing with the radiographic image capturing apparatus mounted on the capturing table in the capturing room, the radiographic image capturing apparatus having such a configuration described above is automatically turned off in cooperation with switching off of the console or relay even if the operator or radiological technician forgets to turnoff the radiographic image capturing apparatus. This configuration advantageously prevents consumption of electric power in the radiographic image capturing apparatus that is failed to be turned off.
Unfortunately, the radiographic image capturing apparatus that is configured to be inevitably turned off in cooperation with the switching off of the device (for example, external devices such as the console or relay described above) connected to the radiographic image capturing apparatus has the following disadvantages: For example, even if the operator or radiological technician manually turns on the radiographic image capturing apparatus connected to the device (for example, external devices such as the console or relay described above) in the switched-off state, the radiographic image capturing apparatus may be automatically turned off in cooperation with the switching-off state of the device.
Such automatic turning off of the radiographic image capturing apparatus against the intention of the operator or a radiological technician may make the operator feel that the radiographic image capturing apparatus is difficult to use.
When the radiographic image capturing apparatus attached to the capturing table and used in capturing (in the turned-on state) is detached from the capturing table for radiographic image capturing of, for example, a knee joint of a patient, the connector of the radiographic image capturing apparatus may be uncoupled from the connector of the capturing table, stopping the power supply to the radiographic image capturing apparatus. In such a case, the radiographic image capturing apparatus may be automatically turned off under the misinterpretation of the stop of the power supply as the switching off of the device.
Since the radiographic image capturing apparatus is turned off against the intention of the operator or radiological technician to conduct radiographic image capturing of, for example, a knee joint of a patient with the radiographic image capturing apparatus detached from the capturing table, the operator is forced to turn on the radiographic image capturing apparatus again. This also makes the operator to feel that the radiographic image capturing apparatus is difficult to use.